Reflections on the glory and conflict associated with following Jesus Christ

Friday, December 10

CHRIST IS YOUR LIFE!?! -Part 1

Too much Christianity puts distance between the believer and his Lord. Too many Christians accept it this way--whether by default or by preference. It was not intended to be this way. But for a certainty it is this way, and to the extreme detriment of the Church and each member in it.

GOD OVER THERE

We have seen it this way: I am over here, God is over there. Yes, Christ died for me, is preparing a place for me, and is coming to get me one day. But he's over there . . . somewhere. I go to church and "touch base" with Jesus, get my "fix" or gain some knowledge, or perhaps even find an answer to one of my pressing questions. But it's still God over there and me over here. Distance. God surfaced this with Jeremiah:

Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.(Jeremiah 23:23–24)

LIFE PROJECTS TRUE BELIEFSI say, this is the practice of it from my experience having been saved over 50 years now and having prepped, schooled, and worked in the church in some way most of those years. I have felt these things myself. I know from experience that this is true. And I also know from conviction that it is totally off the mark. It is so far off the mark we submit that such a way of viewing Christianity is not Christianity at all! That's right.

Have we grown too academic with our faith, on the one hand, parsing verbs, and leaving the Spirit and grace in the classroom? Or have we gone the other way, on the other hand, contenting ourselves with such a nebulous mist of loosely held beliefs that they wouldn't hold together in the least conflict we face?

"Am I a God at hand?" It is this question I want to probe over the next few posts. God help us. Life, real life, hangs in the balance!

A Shepherd's Concerns

I have pastored Perry Baptist Church in Perry for 25 years and am passionate to lift up Jesus Christ as the all-satisfying Savior of the world. I am happily married to Phyllis (36 years). We have two grown children, Dave and Rachel (husband-Jay Short). The title, "CROSS Purposes" serves a dual aim: To declare the centrality of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ for salvation, and to discuss the conflicts that arise in a world opposed to the gospel.
My education is varied: Bob Jones University (B.A., 1975), Bethel Seminary of the East (M.Div., 1990), Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (D.Min., 2007).

C. H. Spurgeon Quotes

“It was the fear of man that caused Pilate’s name to become infamous in the history of the world and of the Church of God, and it will be infamous to all eternity. The fear of man led him to slay the Savior! Take care that it does not lead you to do something of the same kind.”—Volume 54, Sermon #3080

“Dear friend’s, let us exult in this relationship between Christ and His people! We are as weak and foolish and as full of needs as sheep can be, but we have a Shepherd who perfectly understands us, who so loves us that He will preserve to the end even the very least among us!”—Volume 54, Sermon #3088

“The invitations of the Gospel are invitations to happiness. In delivering God’s message, we do not ask men to come to a funeral, but to a wedding feast!”—Volume 54, Sermon #3086